Line indicating copyholder



June 22, 1943;

F. w. THusToN LINE INDICATING COPYHOLDER Filed Oct. 27. 194;

2 Sheets-Sheet Patented June 22', 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,322,259 LINE INDICATING COPYHOLDER Fred W. Thurston, Carmel, Calif. Application October 2-7, 1941, Serial No. 416,724

4 Claims. (Cl. 12033) 1 The invention relates to manually operated line indicating copyholders for manuscript or typed copy sheets, and has for its objects to provide new and useful improvements in devices of this character.

A primary object of the improvement is to provide a copyholder and line indicator assembly of the character described which may be economically constructed of commercially available paper or cardboard, as well as from wood fibre, Bakelite, or plastic, thereby lending itself for ready manufactureand distribution under conditions where more expensive and less available sheet metal material is diflicult to obtain.

A further object of the invention is to provide a copyholder device of substantially integral construction composed of a minimum of parts, thereby economizing in the use of material, as well as steps of manufacturing and assembling procedure. This eliminates the use of separately constructed elements or parts, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. The device is possessed of desired durability, is easy or convenient in operation, eliminates added expensive construction incident to automatic line spacing devices, and does not become out of order so as to occasion need of service or repairing.

The device when constructedas contemplated by the invention, lends itself to convenient folding from a fiat blank into completed form and thereafter into disassembled or knock-down condition, with the line indicator enclosed withinthe folded frame assembly, for storage.

By virtue of the construction of the improved device from cheap paper board or heavy cardboard, wood fibre, Bakelite or plastic, the ultimate expense to the consumer is quite inconsiderable and of no moment, thereby rendering it possible for the unit to be used to advantage by practitransportation or cally every person or typist who has need for the same during the course of his or her normal daily vocation.

A still further object is to provide acopyholder assembly of the character described wherein provision is made for 'insuring desired frictional engagement without undue resistance of the line indicator member with the copyholder proper. This desired objective insures against misalignment of the line indicator with its engaged copyholder and also prevents the line indicator from falling or dropping by gravity or of its own weight from its desired adjusted position on a substantially upright or vertically disposed copyholder. The inherent yieldability or flexibility of the material of which the entire assembly is constructed, enables the line indicator to readily yield or flex to accommodate itself closely against the desired sheet to be copied, regardless of the thickness or number of the sheets in a given job. This factor also serves as an accurate physical aid to the user in copying a particular indicated line.

By virtue of its ready manual manipulation by the user, and firm engagement of the indicator member with the copyholder frame or unit without undue friction, said member may be adjusted substantially vertically in opposite directions to any desired extent withinthe limits of the copy sheet supporting panel. In this manner irregularly or closely spaced successive lines of small type may be copied with equal facility, as well as any portion of a written or printed page which may be desired, without requiring a step-by-step movement on the part of the operator to reach such portion of the sheet.

Numerous other objects and advantages-of the invention will be'apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Fig. l is a perspective view of a copyholder constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a still further enlarged detail horizontal section through a portion of the assembly illustrating the character of frictional engagement between the line indicator member and the copyholder member.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the entire assembly, taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the single or one-piece blank from which the copyholder is formed, illustrated laid out in flat extended position and having the preferred or desired configuration when out from a web or sheet of fiber or other non-metallic material.

Fig. 5a is a similar view of one of the separate laterally extending'or projecting marginal flange strips, also indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5 as stitched or otherwise secured to predetermined opposite 'side portions of the extended blank.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the single or one piece blank layout from which the line indicator memher is formed or constructed, said view also inat dicating in disassembled relation the opposite and separately formed insert member preferably but not necessarily embodied in the line indicator member when the latter is folded into completed or final form.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the copyholder folded into substantially flat knock-down position for storage purposes.

Referring to the drawings, the copyholder or substantially one-piece frame member or easel, is indicated generally by the reference character l9, and the movable line indicator member designed to be frictionally held thereby in slidable relation thereto, is indicated at I2.

The copyholder I is preferably die cut from a sheet or web of relatively heavy paper board or fibre material so as to include a front panel portion l3 folded upon itself at It to constitute therewith an integral rear panel portion or backing member l5, preferably of somewhat reduced width. After being so folded the superposed panel sections i3 and [4 may be stitched together, as best seen at Na in Fig. 1, as an aid in maintaining the said forward and rear panel sections in close engagement with one another, while permitting the forward panel section to be moved or swung outwardly relative to the rear section or backing i5, along the line or integral hinge portion i i. The outer end'ofthe front panel portion or copy supporting member 13 includes a terminal extension l6 which when transversely folded along the dotted lines I56 and secured to the front panel, constitutes an integral copy supporting ledge or shelf indicated at H in Figs. 1 and 2. Said shelf may be suitably stitched or otherwise secured as at E3 to the integrally formed front panel member E3. The front panel member i3 is or may be further provided with a pair ofl-ongitudinally spaced transversely and angularly extending slits l9, 2! whereby the material of the panel may be pressed outwardly from the plane thereof to constitutespaced depending flanges 25, 22-, for retaining copy. sheets or manuscript of different sizes. For example, the upper flange 2i is formed in a predetermined locality on, the front panel member !3 so as to engage over one, or more legal size paper sheets to be copied, while flange 22 is similarly located so as to properly engage over the upper edges of paper sheets of standard or letter size.

The rear panel portion or backing member of the blank is cut to provide an outer extension 23 designed to be foldedinwardly or reversely along. the dotted lines and 24b to constitute a reenforced horizontal copyholder supportinemher, best seen at 25 in Fig.- 4. Said supporting portion or member of the integral blank, when foldedas described, includes a rearwardly disposed forwardly extending reenforced supporting flange 21 of double thickness.

The rear panel portion or backing member 15 is preferably further provided with oppositely disposed lateral wing extensions 28 designed to be folded inwardly at substantially right angles to the rear panel along the dotted lines 29, to cooperate with the lower horizontal member 25 in constituting a firm reenforced support for the copyholder frame structure or easel. Said wing members 28 are further provided with one or more preferably integrally formed outwardly extending tabs or projections 29, one of which is designed for engagement with an appropriately disposed slit 3% in one of the wing members, whereby the device is maintained in fiat folded or dismantled position, enclosing the separately constructed line indicator member, as best seen in Fig. 7 of the drawings. When the wing merm bers are folded or extended rearwardly in supporting position, the same are or may be maintained against tendency to laterally expand by means of a suitable tying element, for example a flexible or resilient tape shown at 3! in Fig. 5. Said tape is illustrated as secured at one end as by means of a slit 32 to one of the wing members, the opposite end of said tape being suitably secured to the opposite wing member 28 by means of complementary slit 33 or other fastening medium. Lower portions 28a (Fig. 5) of each wing extension 28 may be folded rearwardly or inwardly along the angularly disposed dotted lines 2822 to cooperate with the portion 23 of the blank in constituting a firm horizontally disposed supporting base and also to impart a desirable rearward inclination to the formed easel support, as best seen in Figs. 1 and i.

The laterally extending oppositely disposed marginal flange strips 34 are separately formed, preferably from scrap material incident to die cutting the blank proper, and may be suitably stapled or stitched as at 35 to opposite longitudinal or side edges of the front copy supporting panel [3, as clearly illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings. For convenience in operation the said stitches or other securing device 35 may terminate materially short of the upper ends 36 of the strips 34 so as to maintain said upper ends 36 substantially free and flexible relative to the front panel member l3, whereby to facilitate engagement of the line indicator member (2 with such strips. duringv the initial assembly and use of the device. The strips may be inwardly tapered or beveled as shown, to facilitate convenient assembly or engagement of opposite ends of the line indicator or marker l2 with the strips. A corresponding bevel or inward taper 31 at the lower ends of the strips 34 also facilitates separation of the marker from the front panel member I3 after a supported sheet has been copied by the user of the device.

The line indicator l2 also preferably con-,

structed of cardboard or paperboard and as best seen in Fig. 6, is so substantially one-piece die cut construction. Such member includes a rectilinear main front wall portion 38 appropriately enlarged at its opposite ends into two complemental portions 39, 39a of increased width and illustrated in the drawings as of substantially trapezoidal configuration. The outer enlarged portion 3911 at each end of the indicator terminates in an integral Wing, tab or flange extension or portion 40, which may be and as illustrated is substantially the same width as the mainbody portion 38 of the indicator. Substantially intermediate its length the indicator member further includes an integral angularly extending substantially rectangular extension 4| which when folded along the dotted lines 42 and securedto the body portion, provides a forward finger engaging ledg extension 43 whereby the indicator member l2 may be adjusted vertically relative to the copyholder member in either an. upwardor a downward direction. A staple element 44 or other securing means serves to secure the. finger extension 43 to the body portion 38 of the indicator, thereby maintaining the desired outwardly, projecting configuration of such ledge portion.

Each enlarged opposite end portion of, the line indicator member I2 is. designed to be foldedinwardly upon itself along an intermediate fold or score line indicated at 45,- thereby forming integral complementary end extensions or frame engaging portions 46 (Figs. 1, 2 and3) of double thickness and preferably of increased depth. When so folded each extended tab portion 40 projects inwardly a greater distance than the remaining enlarged opposite end portions 46 of the indicator, to function as a frictional panel engaging element of the indicator for maintaining the latter in desired manually adjusted position relative to the copyholder frame and copy sheet or sheets supported thereby.

. Separate opposite insert members indicated at 41 in Fig. 6 are preferably provided and are shaped to be disposed between and secured to the enlarged folded an d registering'end extensions 39, 39a of the indicator as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. Such insert members may be adhesively securedbetween the folded enlarged extensions 39, 390. or by means of stitching or stapling 48 (Fig. 1) or other securing means. Such stapling also serves to secure the said registering enlarged end portions 39, 39a together as will be readily understood. The said insert members not only adequately and further reenforce the opposite ends 46 of the line indicator l2 as aunit, but also cooperate with said folded end portions 46 for engagingthe adjacent outer edges of the strip member 34 secured to the outer copyholding panel I3, in the manner of a T-square, so as to maintain the desired transverse position and angular alignment of the indicator with the vertically spaced lines of the copy sheet, as will be readily understood.

The above described opposite and integral end tab portions or extensions 40 of the line indicator member, as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, each has a resilient frictional engagement with and between the rear wall surface of an adjacent laterally projecting flexible-strip member 34 and the slightly inwardly spaced outer wall surface of the copy panel member l3 of the supporting frame.

7 From the immediately foregoing description it will be apparent that th instant improvement provides what may be termed a triple resilient friction grip between the line indicator member l2 and the copy supporting panel member l3 including the oppositely disposed laterally'projecting strip members 34 of the latter. A double friction grip i thereby provided on each side of the inwardly projecting tab members 40, as well as an additional or third friction sliding grip afforded by means of the engagement of the rear wall surface of the front body wall 38 of the indicator with the front wall surface of each strip member 34.

The described construction insures proper frictional engagement at all times of the line indicator member with the copy supporting panel, to the end that the same may be readily and conveniently adjusted by means of the finger engaging shelf portion or ledge 43 thereof. Said triple friction grip insures against the indicator member slipping out of desired alignment or falling or dropping by its own weight from adjusted position, regardless of the thickness of the sheets of copy supported by the front panel member l3 of the holder. The described triple friction grip i also present and exists regardless of whether a single sheet or a multiplicity of copy sheets are present on the front panel member l3, and the inherent flexibility of the material insures this desired yieldable frictional engagement of the indicator member with the copy when a multiplicity of sheets constituting a copy of considerable thickness is supported by the panel i3. The described enlarged and reenforced end construction of the line indicator member further cooperates with the desired triple friction grip in maintaining the indicator at right angles to the panel and in proper registry with the spaced lines ofthe copy during manual shifting of the indicator downwardly during use or when desired in either vertical direction. 7

To briefly summarizethe improvement and its manner of use, the copyholderis unfolded and extended from its knock-down position of Fig.7 into upright position best seen in Figs. 1 and 4. The single or multiple sheets of manuscript or type, constituting the work to be copied, or if desired a shorthand note book, is next placed in po sition against the front panel member [3, between the side strips 34, with the lower edge of the work resting on the shelf support H. The upper edge of the work is removably retained against displacement by inserting the same beneathone of the outwardly extending or inclined flange members 2|, 22, depending upon whether the sheets are of legal or letter size. It will be understood that a shorter sheet of copy orshorthand note book is equally adaptable for use with the device, in such instance being supported by the, lower shelf l1 and held against lateral and outward displacement by the strips 34 and line indicator member l2 respectively, or by means of a. clip applied at the top of the copyholder. This latter expedient is not possible in the instance of an automatic line indicator copyholder wherein there is relative movement between the backing sheet and copy supporting panelas the line indicator device is moved downwardly in a stepby-step movement.

After the sheets are positioned as described, the line indicator member l2 may be conveniently and frictionally engaged with opposite sides of the laterally extending strip members 34 at the tapered and unsecured upper portions thereof, and moved downwardly into registry with the first line to be copied. After a sheet is finished the indicator member may be released from engagement with said strips at the lower ends of the latter by a slight downward and outwardly exerted manual pressure thereon at the lower inwardly tapered portions 31 of the strips, as will be obvious. from the panel and the indicator again registered with a succeeding sheet by its frictional reengagement with the upper ends of th yieldable strip members 34 as hereinabove described.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

What I claim is:

l. A copyholder device comprising a frame including a copy sheet supporting panel, said panel including longitudinally disposed laterally projecting strip elements extending outwardly from the plane of the panel at opposite side edges thereof, a line indicator member movably mounted on said panel, opposite ends of said indicator member having rearwardly disposed inwardly extending resilient tab portions frictionally engageable between the front wall of said panel and the rear surface of said strip members to provide with the body of said indicator member a triple friction grip for yieldably maintaining said in- The copied sheet is then removed dicator member in adjusted position relative to and transversely of said panel and the copy supported thereby.

2. A copyholder device constructed of fibre material, comprising a foldable integral frame including a rearwardly disposed backing member and a forwardly and angularly disposed copy sheet supporting panel designed to be placed in substantially upright position, said panel ineluding longitudinally disposed laterally projecting strip elements at opposite side edges thereof extending forwardly from the plane of the panel, and a line indicator member of fibrous material arranged transversely of and mounted for vertical adjustment relative to said panel, opposite ends of said indicator member being enlarged and having portions engageable with opposite side edges of said panel to slidably maintain said member in transverse alignment therewith, the opposite ends of said indicator member each further including inwardly extending resilient tab portions frictionally engaging between the front wall of said panel and the rear surface of said strip members to provide with the body of said indicator member a triple friction grip to yieldably maintain said indicator member in adjusted position relative to said panel and the sheet copy supported thereby.

3. A copyholder device of substantially onepiece construction, comprising a frame including a rear backing member and a front panel member integrally formed therewith for supporting a copy sheet, integrally formed side wing elements on one of said members and a horizontally disposed bottom supporting element integrally formed with a said member to adapt said frame to be folded into upright copy supporting position, said panel including longitudinally disposed laterally projecting strip elements at opposite side edges thereof extending forwardly from the plane of said panel member, and a line indicator member movably mounted on said panel, opposite ends of said line indicator member having inwardly extending resilient tab portions frictionally engaging between the front wall of said panel and the rear surface of said strip members to provide a triple friction grip for yieldably maintaining said indicator member in adjusted position relative to said panel and the copy supported thereby.

4. A copyholder device of substantially onepiece fibrous construction, comprising a frame including a rear backing member and a'front panel member integrally formed therewith for supporting a copy sheet, integrally formed side Wing elements and a horizontally disposed bottom supporting element integrally formed with one of said members to adapt said frame to be folded into upright copy supporting position, a copy supporting ledge formed integrally with said front panel member and adapted to be folded into copy supporting position thereon, said panel further including longitudinally disposed laterally projecting strip elements at opposite side edges thereof, said strip elements having portions adapted to be urged forwardly from the plane of said panel member, a line indicator member of fibre material'movably mounted on said panel for manual vertical adjustment relative thereto, opposite ends of said line indicator member having inwardly extending resilient tab portions frictionally engaging between the front wall of said panel and the rear surface of said strip members to provide a triple friction grip for yieldably maintaining said indicator member in adjusted position relative to said panel and the copy supported thereby, said indicator member having an integrally formed finger engaging portion adapted to be folded upon and secured to said indicator member in finger engaging position thereon.

FRED W. THURSTON. 

